Diablo 3 gets team deathmatch, achievements and battle standards

Blizzard are introducing team deathmatch mode to Diablo 3's player vs. player scraps. It's playable on the show floor at Blizzcon, and players will immediately notice that the mode supports 4 vs. 4 battles, up from last year's 3 on 3 demo.

The rules are simple. There are two teams, red and blue. When you die you only have to wait three seconds before you're back in. The team with the most kills in ten minutes wins. You'll be able to port any of your characters over and send them into the arena, but once you've started the match, you won't be able to change your build. Tweaking your skillset before each battle will be necessary to improve your chances.

Achievements will also be making their way into Diablo 3. Many can be won by playing through the story on each difficulty mode, but there will also be rewards for what Blizzard call "extreme behaviour," like defeating every boss by punching them with your fists.

Achievements unlock new parts and designs for your character's standard. This flagpole is designed to be a way to show off your character's prowess without the need for an overly-long sword or ornate codpieces. Story achievements add extra tassles and accessories to the banner, hardcore achievements let you customise the base. A high level standard was shown during the presentation, rising from a hoard of gold and gems, steeped in ribbons and arcane designs. These standards will be visible in the game world. When playing in co-op you can fast travel to your companion in the field by clicking on their standard.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tom stopped being a productive human being when he realised that the beige box under his desk could play Alpha Centauri. After Deus Ex and Diablo 2 he realised he was cursed to play amazing PC games forever. He started writing about them for PC Gamer about six years ago, and is now UK web ed.